Term 2 has begun and I can't believe what a night and day difference it is from Term 1. It isn't 46 degrees C (114F). The kids know me. I know all their names. So much more of the Aussie slang makes sense. I have figured out the pace that I can move in my lessons for both my A and B stream classes. I know where everything is, and I don't always have to be reminded of meetings. I don't have anxiety when I walk to work. I can redirect students that I don't know when I see them making poor choices at recess. I am starting to feel like a real teacher again. It feels really good.
My teaching load is the same this Term, though I am going to be teaching different units. My Year 7s are starting a term unit called 'Change' and will be learning a lot about the Himalayan Mts, sherpas, and climate change. My Year 8s will be finishing up their Shakespeare unit and will dive into the Polynesia unit (I have a lot to learn for this one.) My Year 9s are studying World War I (with an Australian focus) and World War II. My Year 10s will be exploring the problems of population growth, refugees, and human rights (woo hoo! That's going to be fun!) I'm looking forward to this term's load! It has started to get colder now that it is Autumn. The mornings are brisk during my walk to work, and then it warms up throughout the day. Many of my students complain about how cold it is in the morning. This country has so many extremes! Today our school held the Cross Country Carnival, which was a lot like the swimming carnival except kids ran instead of swam. It was held at the school, and the staff did a great job setting it up, selecting music, and grilling! I had supervisory duty which consisted of sitting on the grass amongst all the students making sure they were making good choices. It was a good day. Olin and Alta also had a good day today - actually a great day! They had their Cross Country carnival as well, but theirs was held down at the horse race track. They had to run the entire length of the race track which was 2km. Tom went and volunteered as a parent and filled me in on all the details. He said that the students ran in heats based on age and gender. Alta was in U9 girls, Olin was in U10boys. Tom said that there were between 40 and 50 students in each heat. And the results?...... (proud mamma moment) Alta came in 5th and Olin came in 2nd!!! They both are so proud and will be representing Gosford Primary at 'Zones' which is another level where they race against other kids from other schools. I'm not sure when that will be, but we are both really happy our kids enjoy being active. On another note, Tom and I have both agreed that we are really thankful we got the kids into the Gosford City Football Club. There are so many ways of "seeing" a country, and we weren't 100% sure that we should commit to spending weekends at soccer. We have no doubt now that it is the best way to really experience a country - to become a part of it. We love the soccer teams that our kids are on. I especially enjoy coaching again, which is something I was starting to dread in Seward. I'm the assistant coach for Olin's team and I coach with a great guy named Ben. We have a rocking team of fun spunky U10 boys and girls. Participating in GCFC soccer, both at practice and games, have become things I look forward to in my week. This week the club worked with the Central Coast Mariners players to put on a gala where the professional players coached our kids and then did a fan club signature session. Olin and Alta both got hats and jerseys signed by the players. They were both so energized by the whole evening. Soundbites: 1. I sprained my ankle in Tasmania so will be heading to a doc next week to make sure there isn't any serious damage - I can still walk just fine, it is just swollen and I want to get it checked so that when I'm out in the bush walking I know my ankle is sound. 2. Tom and I are both going to experience Australian dentists next week too. 3. I saw a red bellied black snake (deadly) on my walk home from school yesterday. It was more scared of me than any snake I've ever been around. 4. There is new graffiti under the bridge on my route to and from school. It is a dancing skeleton with the words "Everyone dies" next to it. I wish they'd just have left it with the dancing skeleton. 5. Olin went to his first Goal Keeper Camp session last night. One coach worked with Olin and 12 year old girl and taught them all about how to dive for the ball. 6. Alta starts art class Monday. 7. My mom and my mom's friend Cindy sent me a box full of clothes for school. How they got 18 shirts in that little box is beyond me! I have new school clothes!!!! 8. The tread on the bottom of parts of my shoes is just about worn completely out from all this walking on cement. I can't afford a new pair of shoes every term though. These have GOT to make it 9 more weeks so that I can replace them for the last two terms. 9. The school year in Alaska is almost over and my exchange partner is going to start shutting down my classroom and getting ready for her summer adventures. I'm excited for her and her family! 10. I had an Aussie teacher approach me about how I go with my Year 10 Mindil class. "What do you do with them that works?" She wanted to know. I was flattered at she had asked, and it felt good to give her some ideas but to also let her know I was still trying to figure it out. I told her that my techniques of getting them up and moving their bodies worked because we were learning about coastal management. She looked at me and then shook her head and said, "Ya, but I"m teaching them human reproduction next week." We both had a good laugh imagining how a lesson on that topic would go if she had them up and moving their bodies! Walk to Work Tally Term 2 - 24 Miles
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AuthorThe Liljemark's enjoy exploring the world. This blog chronicles our adventures. Archives
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